U.S. calls on Americans to leave Gaza "as soon as possible"

It warned Americans against "all travel" to Gaza and "urges those present to depart as soon as possible when border crossings open."

The travel warning statement continued: "Gaza is under the control of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization. The security environment within Gaza and on its borders is dangerous and volatile."

The warning comes after the latest flare-up between Palestinian militants and the Israeli military over the weekend. On Sunday, Palestinian militants fired a rocket that landed in the Israeli border town of Sderot. Israel responded with dozens of strikes against Hamas targets in the coastal enclave.

Four people were wounded in the strikes, according to Palestinian medical officials. No injuries were caused by the rocket that landed in Israeli territory.

The Israeli military says that Palestinian militants have fired 14 rockets into Israeli territory since the beginning of the year.

While Hamas has not been responsible for all of the rocket fire, Israel views any rocket fire emanating from the territory as the Islamist militant group's responsibility as it presides over the coastal enclave.

A number of the rockets have been fired by salafists opposed to Hamas and aligned to the ideology of the Islamic State militant group (ISIS).

article...